Rating: 
- Reader's Digest Version
On the heels of the success of the Beatles ANTHOLOGY albums in the mid-1990s, Capitol decided to give John Lennon's solo career similar treatment in 1998 by releasing a four disc box set of his previously unreleased, if widely bootlegged, songs and alternate takes. This CD is a single disc distillation of highlights from that box set.Every phase of Lennon's solo career is here. The best tracks include an unplugged performance of "God" that is every bit as gripping as the version on PLASTIC ONO BAND. Take 1 of "Imagine," featuring a harmonium and lacking Phil Spector's strings, is quite beautiful in its own way. "God Save Oz" brims with Lennon's enthusiasm and wry wit. The alternate take of "I'm Losing You" rocks harder than the version on DOUBLE FANTASY. That song and "I Don't Wanna Face It" demonstrate that Lennon was still capable of making vital music at the age of 40. Both make one wonder about the great music he might have made later in the 1980s, had he not been taken from us so prematurely.
"Real Love" may be the song with the most emotional resonance. The liner notes don't say so, but it's a safe assumption that this is the demo that Yoko Ono gave to the three surviving Beatles, which they then overdubbed and turned into a "new" Beatle song in 1995. As embellished by Paul, George and Ringo, it was an exuberant and slightly speeded up song. But this demo, with John alone at the piano, is a much more somber piece.
There is something else about most of these recordings that is striking: John's voice sounds great. In his days with the Beatles he had a lot of success using studio tricks to distort his vocals on songs like "Tomorrow Never Knows," "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Come Together." Unfortunately, this technique spilled over into his solo career with mixed results. Perhaps it's no coincidence that his best solo albums (PLASTIC ONO BAND, IMAGINE and DOUBLE FANTASY) were also the ones on which he tended to let it all hang out vocally. Since most of the material on this album was recorded live in the studio with minimal production, John's voice shines through like nature intended.
The album contains some dross. The demo of "I Found Out" adds no new insight. "Serve Yourself," John's satirical rebuttal to Bob Dylan's "Gotta Serve Somebody," had the potential to become a good song, but the demo is a little too goofy for its own good. "Baby Please Don't Go," an outtake from the IMAGINE sessions, probably should have stayed on the cutting room floor.
Yet even this album's lesser moments have their charms. WONSAPONATIME certainly offers an opportunity to dig deeper into the Lennon vault than most people would have thought possible. Essential listening for fans and even casual listeners will find much of it rewarding.
Rating: - Nice "taster" for LENNON ANTHOLOGY
While not up to the sky-high standards of THE BEATLES ANTHOLOGY (whose mammoth success obviously inspired the LENNON ANTHOLOGY), this sampler is a wonderful glimpse at Lennon's best. Even if you've heard these songs before, you haven't heard them done this well. In particular, "Imagine" and "Oh My Love" are more melodic and less syrupy than the versions on the IMAGINE album. Very much worth the while.
Rating: 
- Buy it for a Real version of Real Love
This was a hard album to listen to as a Lennon fan. Real Love is the reason why I purchased it before I invested the $70 in the Anthology. I figured if the other demos and alternates intrigued me, then the Anthology would be worth the money. And it is. The alternate "Nobody Loves You When You're Down and Out" Is a favorite for obvious reasons, as well as the much harsher version of "God". More anger comes through and manages to shock as effectively as Marylin Manson's appearance. There is such a sad and ghostly sound to "Real Love" and "Grow Old With Me", as if John Lennon is there in the room as you listen. It also brings back memories (if you're old enough) of the news in December, 1980. I was an eight year old kid when John Lennon had been killed, my family watched the TV reporters in horror. Later, people were gathering together and singing "Strawberry Fields" and "Imagine" as a tribute. Fortunately, the album turns emotions around after "Grow old With Me" with one of John's greatest parodies, "Serve Yourself", which is a great way to end. Try it, and afterwards, if you find yourself in the store buying the Anthology, give "Wonsaponatime" to a friend.
